What an IP address is
An IP address is the number the internet uses to deliver data to your connection, the way a postal address gets a parcel to your building.
Every request your browser makes carries a return address so the reply can find its way back. That return address is your public IP. It belongs to your internet provider, who lends it to your router for as long as you stay connected, and sometimes for months at a time.
Devices inside your home or office use private addresses such as 192.168.1.20. Those never leave your network. Your router swaps them for the single public address shown at the top of this page, which is the one websites, game servers and remote-support staff actually see.
Why there are two of them
IPv4 has been in use since 1983 and has room for about 4.3 billion addresses, which ran out years ago. IPv6 is its replacement, with enough addresses that every device can have its own. The two run side by side, and a connection that has both is called dual-stack.
| IPv4 | IPv6 | |
|---|---|---|
| Looks like | 203.0.113.42 | 2001:db8:4f2a:9c00::1b |
| Length | 32 bits | 128 bits |
| Usually shared? | Yes, one per household through NAT | No, one per device |
| If it is missing | Rare. Some mobile networks are IPv6 only. | Common. Many providers have not switched it on. |
If the IPv6 row at the top says it was not detected, nothing is broken. Your provider or router has not enabled it yet, and every site still reaches you over IPv4. The IPv6 test goes into more detail.
What your address reveals, and what it does not
An IP address identifies a connection, not a person. Anyone you connect to can see:
- Your provider and the network block the address belongs to.
- A rough location, usually the city where your provider routes traffic, which can be a long way from where you are.
- Whether the address belongs to a hosting company or VPN, because those blocks are publicly registered.
It does not reveal your name, your street address, or what you do online. Only your provider can link an address to an account, and in most countries they release that to authorities only with a legal order.
How to change or hide it
- Restart your router. Many providers hand out a different address after the router has been off for a few minutes. Some keep it fixed for months.
- Switch networks. Mobile data, office Wi-Fi and home broadband each have their own public address.
- Use a VPN or proxy. Sites then see the VPN server's address. Load this page with the VPN on and off to confirm it is working: the address and provider should both change.